Chapter 33: Do Not Choose the Metal Casing

Shang Lu burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahahaha..."

"I’m serious, don’t doubt it." Wang Xiangbing raised his right hand, gesturing for Shang Lu to look at his stiff ring finger. "Even now, I can’t bend it... See? The truth is, everyone in our office is a person of hidden talent. It’s not just you who is unfathomable; no one here should be underestimated. It’s only that idiot from 1047 who thinks he’s the indispensable soul of the base, as if the Earth would stop spinning without him."

Shang Lu gave a respectful thumbs-up.

Wang Xiangbing mirrored the gesture, tapping his thumb against Shang Lu’s in a playful salute.

Shang Lu leaned forward, crossing his hands over his knees. He could feel the wind passing through the world, coming from somewhere thousands of miles away. If the wind were a messenger, what kind of news would it carry?

In its long, arduous journey, how many angels would it encounter?

If angels possessed wisdom, how would they view this world? To a high-dimensional being living in four dimensions, the thickness of this universe along the omega-axis is zero—it is nothing more than a thin membrane. It is hard for the human brain to imagine such a scenario: a vast space with an observable radius of 45 billion light-years, viewed by something as small as a speck of dust in another dimension, is merely a flat, thicknessless sheet of paper.

Which side is truly insignificant?

"I know you’re curious about me..." Shang Lu said.

"I’m not curious about you at all," Wang Xiangbing replied.

Shang Lu: ...Could you at least play along?

Wang Xiangbing laughed, patted Shang Lu on the shoulder, and pulled him into a side-hug. "Brother, you might—no, you *are* a remarkable person. But you have to realize that has nothing to do with us. There are many remarkable people in this world; human society survives because of their efforts. They are the towering trees, and we are the foxtail grass living in their shade. No blade of grass would ever look at a tree and dream of growing into the sky. Have you seen *The Matrix*?"

"I have."

"You are Neo, so life and fate will ask you which pill you want to swallow," Wang Xiangbing said. "But what about us? Look around. We are the bustling pedestrians in that virtual world, the masses sleeping in their battery pods, never to wake up. We wait for you to save the world. If you succeed, we’ll happily move to Zion. If you fail, we’ll just keep fumbling through the dark until everything ends."

After saying this, the uncle gave a scoff and added, "That was a bit pretentious, wasn't it?"

"I thought people with wives and children would have more motivation," Shang Lu said. "After all, they say men can risk everything to protect their families. Unlike me—I’m a lone wolf. If I go down, I go down alone."

"It’s precisely because people have wives and children that they *can't* risk everything. Every time I get home and see my kid, I think... this life is fine as it is. Why worry about what’s out there? What you don't see won't hurt you. My world is only this small, and I can only look after these few people. In these times, if something happens to me, how would they survive?" Wang Xiangbing sighed, speaking with the weary tone of an older man. "Who else can they rely on besides me? You, Director?"

"I will take care of your wife and daughter," Shang Lu said.

"What a Cao Cao move!" Wang Xiangbing glared and spat. "Do you even know what you’re saying? There are millions of people—you’re going to look after all those wives and daughters?"

Shang Lu thought for a moment and asked very seriously, "What if there isn't enough time left in this world for them to grow up?"

Wang Xiangbing paused. "It wouldn't be that unlucky, would it?"

"But what if it is?"

Wang Xiangbing was silent for a long time, finally saying, "Then there’s nothing we can do. It’s all fate."

"Is that what everyone thinks?" Shang Lu asked.

"Most people do," Wang Xiangbing said softly. "Staying clear-headed in this era is a form of torture. Only two types of people stay awake at all times: those with great wisdom, and those with great courage."

Shang Lu straightened up, his gaze falling on the curb across the road. Usually, a row of people would be sitting there resting, but today it was empty. Under the shade of a tree sat a yellow Chinese rural dog with bright, piercing eyes—"Staff Officer Yellow," raised by old man Ji—its tail wagging lazily.

It looked as though it possessed both great wisdom and great courage. It sat on the side of the base road with its head held high and chest puffed out, unflinching whether people or vehicles passed by, its pointed, furry ears perked up, as if it had everything under control.

*Great wisdom and great courage...* which one was he, Shang Lu?

"Director, you have great wisdom, but you still lack a bit of courage," Wang Xiangbing’s gaze was like a torch. "You are hesitating; you are wavering."

When this married man wasn't being a fool, he always hit the nail on the head. Perhaps every married man eventually becomes a philosopher, sitting alone in his garage like Bodhidharma facing a wall, lost in deep contemplation.

"You see it clearly," Shang Lu rolled his eyes. "I’m starting to wonder if you’ve looked at my file."

"Some things radiate from the inside out—we call it temperament or style. After being around you for a while, you notice that deep down, you don't fit in with the people around you. Most people here are numb, indifferent to a sinking ship, but you are still dreaming of saving it. You always want to save something," Wang Xiangbing spread his hands. "Besides, your notes are top-secret. Who could look at your file without the base commander’s approval?"

"What do I want to save?"

"For instance, the pilot of the Red Lotus," Wang Xiangbing said.

"She is so good," Shang Lu said.

"Yes, she is," Wang Xiangbing nodded. "Go save her, then."

Shang Lu bent down, picked up two stones, held one in each hand, and turned to face Wang Xiangbing.

"There are no pills here, only stones. Pick one."

"Why should I choose?" Wang Xiangbing asked.

"You’re right. I lack courage. I’m not brave enough to face this alone. I don’t want to fail by myself; I have to drag a bunch of people down with me," Shang Lu said. "Uncle, the Engineering Office listens to you. Whether it’s your family, Shen Jiang, or the wives and daughters of millions—let’s go save those who are already dead. Come aboard this pirate ship with me."

Wang Xiangbing hesitated, then pointed to Shang Lu’s right hand.

"What does this one represent?"

"Extinction."

Wang Xiangbing pulled his hand back and pointed to his left.

"And this one?"

"Also extinction."

A look of "Are you messing with me?" crossed Wang Xiangbing’s face. "Not to be or not to be, is this a question worth thinking about?"

Shang Lu nodded firmly.

"Even in the nut, I still am the king of infinite universe."